Money Saving Tip #101: Visit the End-Cap

When doing your grocery shopping, don't forget to visit the end-cap filled with clearance and discounted items. My local store (Target) has an end-cap featuring discounted items throughout several sections in the store. There is one in the health and beauty section, the grocery section, the cleaning section, bathroom section, etc.

I bought an item from the clearance end-cap today that was disounted from $19.99 to $14.01. So, not only did I save $6.00, but I also used a $2.00 off coupon. The only problem with the item was that tape had to be used to re-seal the item.

Money Saving Tip #100: Leave Earlier for Work

If your supervisor allows you, consider leaving earlier for work. Ask if you can shift your hours so that you arrive for work earlier in the morning and leave earlier in the afternoon. I understand that some occupations or day care schedules may not permit any deviation, but some people can make the switch.

There are a few benefits to leaving for work when it's still dark. First of all, traffic is much lighter the earlier you leave your home. Even a change in 30 minutes can be a noticable difference. If you are not stuck in heavy traffic, your car will be saving fuel.

Another benefit is the coolness of the morning. Even though daytime temperatures in North Georgia in the summer average in the mid 90s, the morning temps are in the seventies. You do not have to run your air conditioner in cooler temperatures.

Money Saving Tip #99: Color Your Hair Yourself

If you have entered your thirties (or forties), you may have decided to start coloring your hair to hide any greys. Or, you may have decided to change your hair color all together based on personal preference. To cut back on the cost of coloring your hair, color it yourself. I'm not saying to never go back to the salon, but you can reduce the number of trips significantly.

A box of hair dye should cost less than $10. Trips to the salon can cost upwards of a hundred of dollars. You can decide to make your salon visit every other coloring, limit them to 4 a year, or eliminate the salon visit all together. Either way, reducing your salon visit by just one will save you money.

Money Saving Tip #98: Buy Holiday Decor After the Holiday

Decorating your home, business, or office with decor associated wirh the upcoming holiday can cost quite a bit. Instead, plan far in advance. Buy holiday decor after the holiday.

For example, buy Halloween tricks, costumes, and decor beginning November 1 for the following year. Most of the items are discounted 50-75% off the lowest price.

Buy Christmas ornaments, stockings, and decor beginning December 26.

Hobby and craft stores such as Hobby Lobby, Joann Fabrics, and Michaels discount after each holiday. Even stores like Target and Walmart discount seasonal items as well.

Money Saving Tip #97: Diaper Wipes

Like I mentioned before, I have been using cloth diapers on my last 2 children. I have saved thousands of dollars by using them. I do not use traditional disposable wipes on my son. I use the small baby washcloths to clean his bum during the diaper changes. Then, I toss the soiled washcloths in my bin of dirty diapers to be washed with the next diaper load.

We keep our clean washcloths in a basket on his diaper changing table. Beside the basket is a small bowl of water. When we need a wipe, we take a wadhcloth and dip it in the water. Then we squeeze the excess water out before we use it. I recommend changing the water everyday or every other day.

Money Saving Tip #96: Select-a-Size Paper Towels

I am under no illusion that washcloths will clean up every mess in the home (Money Saving Tip #6). Though I do feel that money can be saved by using washcloths in most cases, there are times when you need to use a paper towel instead.

With that in mind, buy the variety of paper towels that feature "select-a-size." If you only need to use a small portion of a paper towel, you won't waste an entire sheet.

Money Saving Tip #95: Ceiling Fans Cool People, Not Places

If you are anything like me, you have a ceiling fan (or two) in any room big enough to have one. One thing to remember in regards to ceiling fans is that they cool people, not the room that they are in. The next time you leave a room for more than a few minutes, turn off the ceiling fan.

Money Saving Tip #94: Multi-Purpose Toothbrush

Exactly how long a toothbrush lasts vary from person to person. When it comes time to replace your toothbrush with a new one, don't discard the old one. Use the retired toothbrush as a cleaning brush. We use old toothbrushes to help clean the grooves of our wainescoting of our kitchen island. We also use them for cleaning along the baseboards.

The toothbrush can be used to clean just about anything that a larger scrub brush cannot.

Money Saving Tip #93: Visit the Web

Let the internet help get you discounts and great deals on your purchases. Here is a list of some websites that can help you save money:

Ebates.com
Livefabuless.com
Qponqutie.com
Yourretailhelper.blogspot.com
Eversave.com
Allyou.com
Groupon.com

I have a link to all these sites on the home page on the right side.

Money Saving Tip #92: Close Vents in Unoccupied Rooms

Running your air conditioner or heater can be quite costly. Venting your entire house is unnecessary. Close the vents in rooms that are not occupied or are rarely used. We have vents in our master bedroom closet and laundry room. We closed the vents in these spaces.

We also have vents in our bonus room. Since this room is seldom used, we close the vents and keep the door shut.